Mikhail Shishkin is one of the most celebrated Russian authors today.
Born in 1961 in Moscow, he worked as a school teacher and journalist. In 1995 he moved to Switzerland, where he worked as a Russian and German translator within the Immigration Department and specifically with Asylum Seekers.
His writing debut in 1993, Calligraphy Lesson, a short story translated into French and Finnish, has won him the Prize for the Best Debut of the Year. Since then his works – both fiction and non-fiction – have been translated into ca 40 languages and have received a large number of prestigious national and international awards, including Haus der Kulturen der Welt International Literature Award (2011), Premio Strega Europeo 2022, the Russian Booker Prize (2000), the National Bestseller Prize (2006), the Big Book Award (2006, 2011) and many others. Today Shishkin is a fearless critic of Putin’s regime and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Mikhail Shishkin’s prose fuses the best of the Russian and European literary traditions. The richness and sophistication of the language, the unique rhythm and melody of a phrase, the endless play with words and the nuanced psychological undercurrent are reminiscent of Nabokov and Chekhov. The change of narration styles and narrators within a text yield a fragmented, mosaic structure of composition that focuses on the language itself, recalling James Joyce’s genius.
The author's website: https://mikhailshishkin.com.
One of the most prominent names in modern Russian literature.
— Publishers Weekly
[Shishkin] takes Nabokov's remarkable linguistic flexibility but none of his arrogance; like Chekhov, he looks on humanity with humor and compassion. Shishkin's Baroque turns of phrases seem written out of necessity and joy rather than pretention; he respects his readers, he delights in language, and he does not need to show off.
— The Quarterly Conversation
If someone in this world has the right to claim the title of “the Sun of Russian Literature” it should be Mikhail Shishkin. <…> As soon as he finishes writing, delightful reviews and awards immediately follow. After that - a new plunge into creative vortex until the next triumphant emersion.
— Expert
Shishkin proves to be one of the most gifted authors of the Russian literary stage, especially because he manages to disregard fashion and create his own style and literary concept.
— Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Shishkin’s agile, inventive narration reveals his homeland anew, showing once again why he has become one of Russia’s most valued storytellers - and an important new author in the West.
— Literalab
Selected books
Bibliography
2019 — My Russia: War or Peace?, essays (in German)
2019 — A letter on the snow. Three essays. Robert Walser, James Joyce, Vladimir Sharov, essays
2017 — Half–Belt Overcoat, short stories, essays
2010 — Letterbook aka The Light and the Dark, novel
2005 — Maidenhair, novel
2002 — Tracing Byron and Tolstoy in the Alps, novel
2000 — The Seizure of Izmail, novel
1999 — Russian Switzerland, essays
1993 — Calligraphy Lesson, short story
1993 — One Night Befalls Us All aka Larionov’s Notes, novel
2019 — Dead Souls, living Noses. An Introduction into the Russian Culture History / Tote Seelen, lebende Nasen. Eine Einführung in die russische Kulturgeschichte, essays
2002 — Montreux-Missolunghi-Astapovo, Tracing Byron and Tolstoy, a literary walk from Lake Geneva to the Bern Alps / Montreux-Missolunghi-Astapowo, Auf den Spuren von Byron und Tolstoi, essays
Literary awards
Premio Strega Europeo 2022
Shortlisted for Leipzig Book Fair Prize 2013
Haus der Kulturen der Welt International Literature Award 2011
The Big Book Award 2011
Halpérine-Kaminski Prize for the Best Translation 2007
Shortlisted for Giuseppe Berto Prize 2007
Grinzane Cavour Prize 2007
The Best Foreign Book of the Year of the 21st Century (China)
Shortlisted for Bunin Literary Award 2006
The Big Book Award 2006
Shortlisted for Andrei Belyi Literary Award 2006
The National Bestseller Prize 2005
The Best Foreign Book of the Year (France) 2005
Main Literary Prize of Zürich 2002
The Russian Booker Prize 2000
Globus Prize 2000
Literary Prize of Canton Zürich 2000
The Best Russian Debut of the Year 1994